FBI: International fits right in with the FBIs, but it also has a bit of a different vibe. Not the redheaded stepchild, but also not a twin. It’s got its own thing going on, and part of that comes from the international part of the name – the show does film in Budapest, and at times, you can tell. But as we learned in a conversation with star Heida Reed, who plays Jamie Kellett, there are some other things that make the show special, even while keeping with the procedural style we know and love.
One of them is the cast – something Reed pointed out as very special when we discussed how good a job the show does at balancing all sides of a character. “I’m proud to be on a show where the majority cast is female,” she told us, adding that it’s “really cool, especially in a male-dominated field both in the FBI and network television.” And FBI: International doesn’t stop there, because as Reed shared, the show also has “more and more female directors every season,” and is doing what it can to “bridge the gap, slowly but surely.”
All these things are important, but the last one is crucial. Women-centered stories are becoming more common on TV, but for them to feel authentic, there needs to be female representation behind the cameras too. Otherwise, we’re just telling a male perspective on women’s issues. This is particularly true on a genre like procedurals, where female stories are so often centered around pain – not joy.
But Jamie Kellett has gotten some joy in her life – and she gets some in this week’s episode, as a new romance heats up. For Reed, the new romance is promising, but selfishly – as the one playing Jamie – she just hopes “Jamie can be happy for a while.” Does that mean this new love interest is endgame? Are there OTP bells on the horizon? Reed won’t go that far. In fact, she confessed to us that, despite things going pretty well with this new romance, she’s “still rooting for Jamie and Scott.” She can’t help it, she told us, and if we’re being honest, neither can we.
We, however, are not fair-weather fans. We’re very used to the ups and downs of shipping in procedural TV. And we’ll take the pain for now, if needed. Especially if half of our ship is still on board with it! We’re only in Season 2, after all. There’s plenty of time for the show to explore this new relationship and perhaps for Jamie to discover that it doesn’t really hold a candle to what she had before.
Just saying.
Romance aside, Reed also shared with us her dream storyline for Kellett – and we’ll sign up for it. “I’d love to see Jamie go undercover. That would be cool.” And hey, we’re just throwing it out there, but there are plenty of potential ship possibilities that start and end with a couple of agents going undercover. We will provide ample examples from other procedurals if needed. It’s a time-honored tradition.
We are also, however, fans of the action on FBI: International, and so is Reed. “I’ve truly found a love for fight scenes and action on this show,” she told us. “I’m looking forward to the next big fight she does.”
And, honestly, same. We’re here for Kellett kicking ass in every way.
Especially because this cast makes it all look so easy and effortless, and Budapest, as we mentioned before, adds that je ne sais quoi that translates well to the screen, but that also adds to the filming. “It’s a gorgeous city,” Reed shared, adding that “we’re very fortunate to be on location almost all the time, which means we see so much of it.”
Sounds like a dream job, especially with a cast that, Reed told us, spends a lot of time together and “loves to make other laugh.” That is, of course, a good thing. No, a great thing, well, except that “it tends to happen in the middle of a take a lot, and once we start it’s hard to stop.”
But wouldn’t you take that over a boring job or a boring set?
Are you excited for the new episode of FBI: International? What would you like to see from Heida Reed’s character? Share with us in the comments below!
A new episode of FBI: International airs tonight on CBS.
